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  <title>Chapter 2</title>
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            <h1 class="title">Chapter 2</h1>
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          <h2 class="subtitle">Belah</h2>
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      <p class="first first-in-chapter first-full-width"><span class="first-letter first-letter-w">“W</span>hat’s your type?” Erika asked.</p>
      <p class="subsq">The human woman stood on the other side of the bar counter Belah was seated at, chopping vegetables while her dragon mate stirred something aromatic in a pot. Geva’s muscular forearms flexed as he tilted the pot for Erika to toss more ingredients into it. Then he set the pot back on the burner and adjusted the heat, covering it with a lid before he moved to the side and went to work, delicately filleting the fresh fish they’d picked up at the market earlier in the day.</p>
      <p class="subsq">Belah was mesmerized by the way he held the meat, the strength in his hands such a contradiction to how adeptly he handled the fragile flesh.</p>
      <p class="subsq">Erika laughed and waved a hand in front of Belah’s face. “Yes, his hands are just as good at whatever you were imagining as they are at cooking, but they’re mine.”</p>
      <p class="subsq">Belah forced herself to focus on the woman’s words rather than the novelty of the experience of watching a Court dragon cook for her. When she glanced up, she caught Geva and Erika sharing a secretive look, one she read easily as an agreement to make sure Belah was kept satisfied, regardless of how successful they were at tracking down a turul mate for her.</p>
      <p class="subsq">“My type? I don’t know what you mean,” Belah said.</p>
      <p class="subsq">“I mean, do you like your men clean-cut or rough around the edges? Conservative or adventurous? Tall or short? Dark-haired or blond?”</p>
      <p class="subsq">“Or redheads?” Geva offered, smirking as he placed the large, well-seasoned fish into a pan and slid it into the oven. His eyes twinkled and Belah was blessed with a flash of his thoughts—an image reminding her of the day when Geva and the First Shadow, Kol, attended her for a short time with their mouths and their glorious tongues, but there hadn’t been time for much more than that.</p>
      <p class="subsq">“Babe, you are off-limits,” Erika said, eyeing her mate. “I don’t care how important she is. No offense, Bel.”</p>
      <p class="subsq">Belah laughed at their banter. “None taken. But I don’t think I can afford to be picky, can I? Turul are known for having mates they are fated for from birth. That means there is likely only one male out of all of them who is the one Fate intends for me to mate.”</p>
      <p class="subsq">Erika frowned. “Is that so? I don’t suppose there’s a magical races matchmaking website you can sign up on, is there? ‘Single Blue female seeks fated turul mate. Loves sunset flights over the beach, expensive gifts, and orgies in the park.’ ”</p>
      <p class="subsq">Belah raised both eyebrows. “What have you guys heard about my past?”</p>
      <p class="subsq">“The preferences of the immortals are legendary,” Geva said. “You six set the precedent for the rest of us, which we followed for centuries. Taking multiple human mates was how we broadcast our wealth. It’s only been the last two generations that scaled back. We do still love our orgies, though—that, at least, is not likely to change.”</p>
      <p class="subsq">“I heard you had a harem before,” Erika said, leaning on her elbows and looking at Belah expectantly. “What was that like?”</p>
      <p class="subsq">“It was a necessity,” Belah said with a shrug and followed the pair of them to the dining table, where Geva began serving the salad. While it wasn’t unusual for a lower-ranking dragon to serve an immortal in this fashion, she had expected one as high in rank as Geva to have human servants. Somehow the intimacy of the dinner was comforting, though, and she found herself relaxing and enjoying the company. It allowed her to feel normal for a change, as though she belonged in their world and the burdens of her former life were far, far behind her.</p>
      <p class="subsq">“Well, I know that,” Erika said. “Geva enjoys reminding me when he’s low on energy. But didn’t you ever play with your pets for fun? Let yourself indulge every once in a while just because it felt good?”</p>
      <p class="subsq">Belah smiled to herself at the memories of how often she had done just that, though it had been a rare occurrence. She’d avoided creating bonds with the humans who were only intended as sources for the sexual energy she subsisted on. The times she had indulged for her own pleasure were the most memorable for both her and her pets, she was certain.</p>
      <p class="subsq">A darker memory seeped into her reverie—one that involved Nikhil directing her harem in an orgy that rivaled any other she’d experienced—and she shut down the thought before it could ruin her contentment.</p>
      <p class="subsq">“I haven’t indulged purely for pleasure in so long, I’m not sure I remember how to,” she finally said.</p>
      <p class="subsq">“I’m sure it’s like riding a bike.” Erika patted her arm. “If you need a little push, we can help.”</p>
      <p class="subsq">Geva paused in the process of refilling their wine and stared down at his mate. Belah glanced between them, amused by the red dragon’s surprise.</p>
      <p class="subsq">“What?” Erika asked, looking innocently up at him. “The poor woman hasn’t gotten properly laid in… how long?” She looked at Belah for confirmation. “Three thousand years?”</p>
      <p class="subsq">Belah nodded.</p>
      <p class="subsq">Geva’s brows creased as he returned to the kitchen to collect the main course and brought it back. “My love, you seemed determined a moment ago not to share even what my <i>hands</i> can do.”</p>
      <p class="subsq">“Oh, I plan to keep you for myself. That doesn’t mean Belah can’t indulge with <i>me</i> if she wants. I’m definitely willing.”</p>
      <p class="subsq">Geva sat with a somewhat playful scowl and began dishing food out onto their plates.</p>
      <p class="subsq">“See how infuriating it is to have a human mate with a mind of her own, Belah? You and the rest of the Council were lucky not to have to deal with mates at all for so long. Are you sure you want to try again now?”</p>
      <p class="subsq">A wave of sadness overtook Belah and she reached for her wine in an attempt to disguise her frown. After a hard swallow, she plastered on a smile, but Geva’s look told her he’d seen through her already.</p>
      <p class="subsq">“My life isn’t what you thought it was,” she said, too weary from her journey to elaborate. She was hungry in too many ways and reached for her fork, digging into the fragrant meat on her plate. While she ate, she watched the pair across from her and regretted that she would have to refuse Erika’s invitation. The young human’s aura glowed with the vibrant energy of a pregnant female. Glancing between the couple, she doubted that they even realized it yet. Erika’s status meant that Belah could give to them, but shouldn’t take any of their offered energy for herself—not when there was an unborn child who needed it far more than she did.</p>
      <p class="subsq">Her mood lifted at the prospect, the idea of new motherhood for this young woman causing a sense of well-being to swell inside her. Smiling to herself, she let her worries go for the moment and dug into her food, choosing to imagine what color dragon the pair might produce, and what kind of wonders the child would discover in its life. Even though Belah’s trip was the beginning of another chance for her to experience the same thing, it didn’t hold the same sense of glorious possibility for her.</p>
      <p class="subsq">As long as two of her cherished children were being held captive by the Ultiori, she would never be fully content in her own life, even if she did find a new mate and conceive a child with him. It seemed ridiculous to even go through the motions of mating again without knowing where her son and daughter were. All she knew was that they’d been put into hibernation somewhere safe—yet the enemy had found them with the aid of a pair of Blessed twins who had been corrupted into becoming Ultiori Elites. That knowledge broke Belah’s heart, because she knew those twins. She was the dragon who had bestowed their blessing when they were still inside their mother’s womb. That day had been the day she’d agreed to wed Nikhil—which had become the biggest mistake of her life.</p>
      <p class="subsq">She forced her attention back to the table and her two hosts. The contentment and love that brightened Erika and Geva’s auras was as cleansing as a cool breeze to her own state of mind, and she took a deep breath as though she could inhale their emotions. She should at least try to enjoy this experience while she could. Perhaps she really would find love again.</p>
      <p class="subsq">Quietly, she rose from her seat and began clearing dishes.</p>
      <p class="subsq">“Please, no. Let me take care of this!” Geva said, rising abruptly.</p>
      <p class="subsq">Belah waved a hand dismissively and he sat again, as though he’d been pushed by some invisible force. He let out a little “oof” sound and the chair creaked under his sturdy weight.</p>
      <p class="subsq">Belah grimaced. “I’m sorry. I haven’t used my powers in such a long time, I’m out of practice. You two are my hosts while I’m here. It would make me feel better if you let me at least try being human. Don’t coddle me, please.”</p>
      <p class="subsq">Erika eyed Geva, who frowned but didn’t move, and looked back at Belah. “Be my guest. The trash is under the sink and there’s dish soap down there, too—it’s in a green bottle. Geva thinks we need a housekeeper, but they just get in the way.”</p>
      <p class="subsq">Erika cast her gaze playfully to her mate’s, and Belah was amused to see Geva relax and a slight redness creep into his cheeks. A woman who could make a Red dragon blush was a very special being, indeed. She glanced around at the open layout of their high-rise apartment, imagining the pair of them entwined on every surface.</p>
      <p class="subsq">The images shifted in her mind as she rinsed and stacked the dishes, then began to load the washer. Instead of her hosts’ bodies merged in lovemaking, the images from her dreams filled her mind. She worked mindlessly, allowing the feelings to wash through her as the hot water flowed over her hands in the sink and the music from her dreams flooded her memory.</p>
      <p class="subsq">She began humming along to the secret song when Erika’s surprised laugh hit her ears and made her stop and look up.</p>
      <p class="subsq">“How in the world do you know this song?” Erika asked. Belah looked at her, confused for a second before she realized the music was no longer only in her head, but reverberated through the entire apartment, filling the air around her with enough potency to make the small hairs stand up on her arms.</p>
      <p class="subsq">“I dreamed of it,” Belah answered.</p>
      <p class="subsq">She moved to stand in front of the small, black box that was the source of the music and closed her eyes. “Where did you find it?” she finally asked when the song ended and she opened her eyes to see both her hosts staring at her.</p>
      <p class="subsq">“Find it?” Erika asked. “I didn’t find it… I know these guys. They’re old friends I met when I was an undergrad. I’d always come to the city when classes weren’t in session. After Dad died, I hated going back to that big, empty house in Massachusetts. At least in New York I knew I could be alone without <i>really</i> being alone.”</p>
      <p class="subsq">Beside Erika, Geva had picked up an illustrated case that displayed an image of three pairs of wings spread out and arranged in a triangle. Looking over his shoulder, Belah could make out the words “Fate’s Fools” written in the center.</p>
      <p class="subsq">“You say you know these musicians?” Geva asked, eyebrows raised.</p>
      <p class="subsq">Erika lifted one shoulder in a half-shrug and gave her mate a teasing smile. “I was groupie number one back in the day. They’re phenomenal live. That’s actually a bootleg one of their fans put together—they’ve never signed with a label, as far as I know, but they still play in the city regularly. If you guys like the music, we should go check them out. I bet they still play at the same bars. Guys like them hate change and tend to stick around.”</p>
      <p class="subsq">Geva’s shoulders shook with a low laugh. “My sweet love, I think you’ve given us the best clue to start our hunt for Belah’s mate. These musicians are turul.”</p>
      <p class="subsq">“What the fuck?” Erika grabbed the case from Geva’s hands and stared at it.</p>
      <p class="subsq">“What is it?” Belah asked, reaching for the case. Erika let it go with an irritated sound and walked away.</p>
      <p class="subsq">“Holy fucking <i>Christ</i>, why can’t anything I ever loved <i>not</i> be connected to you guys? Now my favorite band of all time has to be, too?”</p>
      <p class="subsq">“Your favorite band?” Belah asked. Before she could rein it in, her power pulled Erika back. She struggled for a second to release the woman from the snare of her mind, but Erika was already facing her when she finally let it go.</p>
      <p class="subsq">“Belah… you have something you want to share with us?” Erika said in a sultry tone, her breath brushing against Belah’s cheek. Belah clenched her eyes shut.</p>
      <p class="subsq">“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. I shouldn’t have, especially not you.”</p>
      <p class="subsq">“Especially not me? Oh, honey, Geva really doesn’t mind if we get cozy. As long as you don’t mind if he joins in when I need him. We’re trying to have a baby, you know.”</p>
      <p class="subsq">“That’s why I can’t,” Belah said, forcing herself to restrain her powers and resting her hands on Erika’s shoulders. She exhaled softly through her nose and met Erika’s gaze. At the last second, she forced a smile on her face that she hoped would seem genuine.</p>
      <p class="subsq">“Congratulations, Erika. You’re about to become a mother.”</p>
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